Page 18 of Bowser (Dragon Riders MC 2)
I smiled. “Isn’t it grand?”
My sister rolled her eyes and went back to eating, and I went back to my frustration. I’d been hiding in a cocoon now for weeks. At this point, probably months. I could probably count the time I’d spent in that stupid clubhouse in months now. And yet, no one had made any progress. No one had made any steps to do something about Skeleton, or about the Golden Jags in general. Yet still, they expected me to stay cooped up in some room tearing through books like I didn’t have a life I still wanted to lead.
I needed to do something.
I needed to show this group of people that I wasn’t as damaged as they saw me.
“Got any other exciting news for me?” Joanna asked.
I started eating my lukewarm food. “Nope. You?”
She nodded. “I won one of my cases the other day.”
“Congratulations.”
“It was a doozy, too. A sizeable win for my firm. This will be the first case I actually make a profit from, which is nice.”
“About damn time.”
“Right? Hopefully, this finally means a positive trajectory upward from here.”
I paused. “Wait a second. A profit?”
“Yeah?”
“As in, you have no more debts to pay?”
She nodded. “Yeah?”
I blinked. “How the hell did you pay off all that debt—oh.”
Link paid off her debt.
“I worked for that paycheck, Hope.”
I paused. “Did you really, though?”
She set her sandwich down. “Yes, I did. The crew has me on retainer, and my retention fee is much greater than what I charge per cases. A retention fee is for—”
“I’m not an idiot, I know what it’s for.”
“Then why do you sound so angry right now?”
“Because for someone telling me not to get involved with this crew, you sound just about as involved as you can get.”
“Because I’m in a spot where I can handle it. You know, emotionally.”
“And you think I’m not.”
She sighed. “I mean, after what you’ve been through, can you blame us for thinking that way?”
I officially lost my appetite. “Thanks for the conversation.”
She shot up from her seated position. “Hope, please stay. We’ve got—”
“Link!”
The door whipped open. “Yep?”
“I’m ready to go.”
Joanna reached out for me. “Please don’t go. Not yet.”
I slid away from her grasp. “It was really good seeing you. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”
Link blinked. “Everything all right?”
I stared at my sister. “Yeah. Just ready to go. I just got tired all of a sudden.”
“Well, let’s get you back then. JoJo?”
My sister shook her head. “Ye—yeah? What’s up, honey?”
“I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
I abandoned my half-eaten food and practically untouched tea. I left her office in a haze with so many things swirling within my mind. People really thought I was weak. People really thought I couldn't take care of myself. And while I understood where that notion came from considering the shithole, they pulled me out of, I was a capable adult. Sure, I made mistakes. Maybe more than most. But I always cleaned up my messes. I never had to ask for money. I always provided for myself, even if what I provided wasn’t up-to-par with what most people wanted for themselves. I had never once gone hungry, needed shelter, or even been alone. That was about as capable as it came in this world.
Yet, I had somehow turned into an annoying little child that didn't understand.
“I’ll show them,” I murmured.
“You okay?” Link asked.
His voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good.”
He handed me the helmet. “Tense conversation?”
I took it. “You could say that.”
“You know she always means well.”
I decided not to rebuttal what I wanted because I knew it would get me into hot water. But yeah. I knew she meant well. Everyone around me meant well. But that didn’t mean their good intentions made me feel good. That didn’t mean their good intentions were good for my life. That didn’t matter, though. All that mattered was my ability to listen and follow instructions.
And oddly enough, that was exactly what Skeleton had been like.
I need to make some changes in my life.
If people would give me the time and space in order to make them.7BowserHope giggled sleepily. “Mmmm, no no no. Silly.”
Then, she sighed. “Okay, but just one.”
And then, her foot jerked. “Ticklesies, silly.”
I grinned from the doorway as I folded my arms over my chest. The talking she did in her sleep was some of the most adorable shit I’d ever heard in my life. The talking ceased and she went right back to snoring peacefully. A sound I thought I’d hate, but somehow ended up adoring on her.
But all too soon, my reality shattered.
Off in the distance, I heard the groaning sound of engines. I stepped back out into the hallway and closed her bedroom door, trying to close off some of the sound. I walked down the hallway and closed the door at the end of it, shutting her in the middle part of the clubhouse. And as the engine sounds grew, I charged my way through the kitchen.
